To Russia, with love

Chinese visitors pose for a group photo in Moscow's Red Square. The Chinese have become the No 1 source of inbound tourism to Russia. Photos provided to China Daily

China's northern neighbor is cashing in on 'red routes' as the Middle Kingdom becomes central to its inbound tourism. Yang Feiyue reports.

Russia is turning red into gold, as its revolutionary-tourism pitch tapping Chinese nostalgia for the former Soviet Union has proven its Midas touch.

In the recent past, Chinese visitors have surged making it the top source of inbound tourism to Russia.

That's following the recent development of "red routes" catering to Chinese, relaxed visa policies and the yuan's surge against the rouble.

Bookings via China's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip, to Russia over the weeklong National Day holiday more than doubled over the same period last year.

More Chinese booked earlier than in previous years, Ctrip's publicity manager Yan Xin says.

Over 200,000 visited Russia in the first six months of this year, the Agence France-Presse reports.

About 410,000 arrived in 2014, according to Russia's tourism authority.

Tour groups with more than five members don't need travel visas. Russia is planning to decrease the minimum numbers of people to three, say media reports.

Visitors must merely submit a copy of their passport's first page before departure, Yan says.